Kazmir pitches A's to 3rd straight win over Blue Jays

Updated 11:39 pm, Saturday, July 5, 2014

Perhaps lost in the understandable attention given to the A's trade for starters Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel is that Oakland boasted a pretty fair rotation before acquiring those two right-handers from the Cubs.

On Saturday night at the Coliseum, Scott Kazmir put together a start befitting someone in a best-of-the-league rotation. The lefty held Toronto to a run on three hits in seven innings as the A's prevailed 5-1. Oakland has won the first three games of the series.

The first two batters of Saturday's game singled, and then Kazmir limited the Jays to a Brad Glenn single - his first major-league hit - through his seven innings of work.

A's manager Bob Melvin said of Kazmir what is often said about a top starter: If you're the opposition, you'd better do damage early.

"Once he gets his rhythm going," Melvin said, "he gets awfully tough as the game goes along. He gets more and more unpredictable with his pitches. So, a lot of times if you don't get him early ... he's going to start cruising."

Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press

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Josh Donaldson holds on to a foul ball for the first out of the eighth inning despite running full speed into the rain tarp.

Josh Donaldson holds on to a foul ball for the first out of the eighth inning despite running full speed into the rain tarp.

Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press

Kazmir pitches A's to 3rd straight win over Blue Jays

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Kazmir struck out eight and walked two while upping his record to 10-3 and lowering his ERA to 2.53.

"After that first inning," Kazmir said, "I just felt like I was kind of locked in."

Kazmir was in the A's clubhouse when Josh Donaldson made the play of the night. Munenori Kawasaki opened the eighth with a pop foul that seemed headed for the seats beyond third base. Donaldson, though, raced a long way and made an absolutely brilliant grab while crashing into the tarp.

It was similar to a Donaldson catch from last season; the 2013 version was probably a little tougher, but not much.

"I know this (popup) was a lot lower, so I had less time to get there," Donaldson said. "The last time, I was kind of able to measure up. This time, I was kind of going full-speed into it.

"I felt like a running back trying to score a touchdown right there, but I think I would have lost that battle - stopped at the goal line."

Melvin said that Donaldson "doesn't think twice about laying completely out and putting his body at risk. He's all about his desire to get the out. ...

"He has no regard for his body. It's just the way he plays."

The Blue Jays might have lost their leading home run (26) and RBI (70) man for a while. Edwin Encarnacion beat out the back end of what would have been an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play in the first inning.

Toronto benefited with a run on the play, but Encarnacion injured his right leg on his way to first. He was in considerable pain as he remained on the ground for a lengthy period.

During the game, the Blue Jays announced that Encarnacion was dealing with quadriceps soreness. He was to be further evaluated.

Donaldson provided the A's their first run when he took Mark Buehrle (10-6) deep to center in the third. It was home run No. 19 this season for Donaldson. Oakland grabbed the lead for good with two outs in the fourth on a bloop RBI single by Coco Crisp.